The Daily News SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1928. WAITANGI-AND AFTER.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 February 1928, Page 12

The Daily News SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1928. WAITANGI-AND AFTER.

The celebration of the eightyeighth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi would seem to be a fitting opportunity for taking an impartial review of the effect upon the Maori race as the result of living under British rule. The time that has elapsed since this New Zealand Maoris’ Great Charter was signed is comparatively brief from a historical point of view, but it has none the less marked a period of truly marvellous progress both in the evolution of the Maoris and the development of the country. Taking the Natives as a whole, it can be justly affirmed that not only have they emerged from a state of primitive semi-barbarism and cannibalistic ferocity, but have in many instances become highly educated leaders in several of the highest callings in life, including Ministers of the Crown honoured by their Sovereign. Although they displaced in New Zealand an earlier aboriginal race, their tribal wars would probably, but for the advent of the British pioneers to the country, have eventually decimated their ranks. At the same time, when coming under the protection of the British Crown, they entered upon a new era, giving ample scope for the high intelligence they possessed before coming in contact with European civilisation. The advance they had made in arts and industry gave convincing evidence that, under favourable and judicious guidance, they would profit by higher education, and, in proportion to their numbers, produce leading men worthy of the great Empire to which they became attached by the Waitangi Treaty. Moreover, like true children of Nature, they were animated by picturesque ideas inspired by their surroundings, so that when translated into the English language these ideas became clothed with eloquent flowers of poetic imagery, thereby enriching their language and fostering a natural eloquence attractive in its beauty and logical force. The outstanding point of the treaty was the fact that it was voluntarily entered into by the subscribing chiefs, although in some cases suspicion was entertained that it was a trap to eventually bring about the extermination of the natives. It has to be remembered that the Maoris had already experienced some of the methods of the unscrupulous pakeha adventurers who took advantage of every opportunity to gain an advantage over the natives, and there is no doubt that the subsequent troubles were largely due to the Maoris being worsted in the battle of wits between them and the pakehas. In spite of the promised protection under the treaty, it is matter of history that large areas of land were obtained from the Maoris by trifling articles of barter, and that they became demoralised, while the race of half-cast vq grew up with all the evils of the whites and none of the fine qualities of the natives, although most of the chiefs retained their dignity and influence. Naturally the process

of establishing the power of British justice and ensuring the real protection of the Maoris, took far more time than should have been the ease, in consequence of armed hostilities on the part of the natives—-hostilities rendered possible by the sale or barter to them of guns and ammunition. They were brave and resourceful fighters, and the time came when they proved their prowess as warriors and their loyalty to the British in the Great War against the Central Powers of Europe. Sir Maui Pomare summed up the situation accurately in his admirable historic review on the recent occasion of celebrating the signing of the treaty. “The Maoris and Europeans are now as one,” he said. “Our troubles are now at an end. We feel that the happy position the Maori occupies in this beautiful land of ours is due in a very great degree to that simple little scrap of paper signed by the grand old chiefs eightyeight years ago—the Treaty of Waitangi.” There exist, however, among some people doubts as to whether the treaty has been fully honoured and observed in the spirit as well as according to the letter. There need be no anxiety on that point, for the spirit of the present age is to remedy grievances, and to administer justice without fear or favour. The. Maoris are helping to develop the resources of the country to a much greater extent than formerly. That there isroom for much' greater energy in this direction is beyond dispute, but due allowance has to be made for their changed environment.